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C Street - Break Data
Surf spot travel photo of California Street
Description
Through the years, California Street has endured numerous face-lifts. Two decades ago, when it was known as Surfer's Point, a crew of hard-core locals proudly guarded their break against invaders from the south (Oxnard and Malibu), the east (the Valley) and the north (Santa Barbara). These days, with a boardwalk, pay parking machines (a buck an hour), islands of well-groomed sod and bathroom and shower facilities, the three-fourths mile series of points known as California Street, located in front of the Ventura County Fairgrounds, has been tamed into submission.



The top and most popular point, known as Pipe (there's only one, so don't call it Pipes), tends to be the highest quality wave of the bunch. Like Upper Trestles, it's an ever-changing configuration of sand and cobblestone -- dependent on the flow of the Ventura Rivermouth -- but the wave remains the same: long right walls. This is true primarily during the winter, but it's also good on southwest swells with the occasional hollow section that runs for 50 to 75 yards. On the biggest winter days, it's possible to connect it clear to California Street, a distance of a half-mile or so. Pipe tends to be the most crowded break in Ventura, with a tight dawn patrol crew and a huge army of weekend warriors that keep the place humming.



Inside of Pipe is the connecting link between Pipe and C Street, known as Stables -- named after the livestock section of the Fairgrounds. Stables functions more as a link to get you from point A to point B, but the occasional wave that swings wide at Pipe can be a home run here.



In front of the main parking lot is California Street, a mushy beginner-oriented break that offers a dominant right with an occasional steeper left. On a minus low tide and large winter swell, Inside C Street (better known as Inside Point) can be one of the best waves in Ventura, with long, flawless walls that reel to the pier. When it's small, Inside Point -- the venue of the world's first pro surfing event, Tom Morey's $1500 Noseriding Invitational in 1965 -- is a longboarder's dream wave: everything that First Point Malibu offers without the surly Dora descendents yelling for priority.
-- nave retals 		Best Tide:
low to medium
Best Swell Direction:
Long-period S, SW, W, NW
Best Size:
head-high and above
Best Wind:
E
Perfect-O-Meter:
6 (1=Lake Erie; 10=Jeffreys Bay)
Bottom:
cobblestone
Ability Level:
beginner to advanced
Bring Your:
shortboard, log, funboard
Best Season:
fall, winter
Access:
easy, but bring your wallet
Crowd Factor:
moderate to heavy
Local Vibe:
none to moderate
Bicep Burn:
6 (1=1ft Waikiki; 10=15ft Ocean Beach)
Poo Patrol:
5 (1=clean; 10=turds in the lineup)
Hazards:
Crowds, especially weekend warriors on huge boards
Places To Eat
The area around California Street is full of quaint little eateries, but two in particular will give you more than your fill. The Steak and Hoagie Company, located at 410 E. Thompson Blvd., makes a Philly cheesesteak ($4.60, including tax) that's straight from the city of brotherly love. Corrales Mexican American Restaurant, located on the corner of East Thompson and Santa Cruz, serves up homemade Mexican dishes that are well worth the wait. Try the rib eye steak torta for $2.95.

Let Them Eat Muffin
Mrs. Malloy can't provide a side of beef and a sack of potatoes every night for her growing boys. And when the stove at home is cold, Chris, Keith and Dan rely on their connections in town to satisfy that rumbling inside.

SWELL.COM: Any eateries we should know about?
KEITH MALLOY: I have to plug Mario's on Harbor Boulevard. Mario's has the best hot turkey sub in the world.
DAN MALLOY: Then there's the City Bakery, a cool little health food, hippie-type joint.
KM: Screw City Bakery, dude. We go there every day, and they still don't know our names. Every time I order, I get the same girl. I'll order the same thing I order every day, and she'll be like, "Your name, please?"
DM: And then one day I went in there with Tim [Curran] and they hooked him up with a free muffin. She's never done that for me. Where's my free muffin?
KM: Yeah, if you want to get artsy, go to the Bella Cafe. There are a few too many goatees in there, but they're going to display all the black and white photos we've taken since we've been on tour. Our first exhibit! They give us free muffins, too.

What about dinner? Do you guys hit up the local In-N-Out?
DM: No, we're into sushi for dinner. There's Dorocho, at the end of Seaward, and Marina Sushi near Thompson. They're both insane.
Places To Stay
The Holiday Inn overlooks the point, and you can get yourself a room starting at $110. Call 805-648-7731 for reservations. If tradition is important, try the Pierpont Inn (around for more than 70 years) and Racquet Club at 550 San Jon Road. Rooms start at $69. Contact them at 805-643-6144 or pierpontinn.com. There's also a Motel 6 on Harbor at 805-643-5100. They'll leave the light on for you.

Or try
Things To Do
You're looking at it every time you paddle for a wave. The Ventura County Fairgrounds (805-648-3376) is a busy place and is bound to offer something to pique your interest. The Ventura County Fair, held at the end of the summer, is always a favorite for the well-fed citizens of the region. There's also a guns and ammo show three times a year, the weekly Ventura Raceway, the annual County Science Fair, satellite wagering and the odd Beach Boys or Phish show. If 9 millimeters, corn dogs and petri dishes aren't your idea of high culture, head east to the Ojai Shakespeare Festival for a regular presentation of Shakespeare's works at the open-air Libbey Park. Call 805-646-WILL
Surf Shops
The Beach Hut, 1038 S. Seaward, Ventura, 805-643-4888

Campbell Brothers Surfboards, 88 E. Thompson , Ventura, 805-643-6452

Point Blanks, 105 S. Olive, Ventura, 805-641-9428

Ventura Surf Shop, 88 E. Thompson, Ventura, 805-643-1062

Walden Surf Shop, 228 E. Thompson, Ventura, 805-648-7922

Waveline Surf Shop, 154 E. Thompson, Ventura, 805-652-2201

Wet Sand, 446 E. Main Street, Ventura, 805-652-1706
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